Protesters disrupt City Council meeting over Bronzeville high school

Ald. Will Burns, seen here last year, was the subject of protests at a City Council meeting today over the fate of a Bronzeville high school.

Ald. Will Burns, seen here last year, was the subject of protests at a City Council meeting today over the fate of a Bronzeville high school. (Nancy Stone)

By Bill RuthhartClout Street

In an extended display of protest at today's City Council meeting, a few dozen demonstrators stood up in four separate groups chanting about their displeasure over the closing of Dyett High School in Bronzeville.

Each of the four clusters of protesters stood up and chanted loudly during the meeting, and as soon as police had ushered one group out, another started up. They chanted "Will Burns do your job" in demanding a hearing for the school. The protest disrupted the meeting for several minutes.

I feel sorry for you CPS school teachers. Teaching with your hands tied behind ur back where u won't be able to control ur students will be impossible. I would move and teach somewhere else. Not worth the aggravation

Chicago Public Schools voted in 2012 to phase out the under enrolled high school, meaning no new students would be added until the school closes, said Ald. Will Burns, whose 4th Ward includes the school.

Burns said the activists have a political agenda aimed removing him, but insisted that he agreed with the group that the school should remain open. However, Burns said he has not endorsed the coalition's proposed program for the school to teach leadership and green technology courses. Instead, he said he wants more inclusive community input about the school's future.

"What they want and what I want is pretty much the same thing," Burn said. "My position and their position is we both want Dyett to remain open, that Dyett should become a high quality, open enrollment neighborhood high school. They have a plan that they developed that didn't include the broader Bronzeville community. There are other stakeholders that need to be engaged for a plan for the school."

Burns said the school will have just a handful of students left attending classes.

One of the protesters, Paul McKinley, said Burns has not shown a sense of urgency when it comes to keeping the school open.

"He's never had an open and fair discussion with the public about what should happen with that school," said McKinley, who ran a failed bid as the Republican nominee in the special Congressional election to replace former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. "He is not working for the people."

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